


persistence

by chrobins



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: First Kiss, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 11:39:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11554428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrobins/pseuds/chrobins
Summary: they're both pining for each other but have been too scared to say anything. keith's patience runs out and he corners shiro for the last time<3





	persistence

“Keith, I—”

 

“No.” Keith’s voice is dark, strong hands gripping his shoulder as he keeps Shiro from leaving. He pushes Shiro into his room against the wall, eyes fierce and full of tears. “You can’t run away from me...not this time.”

 

The tension in Shiro’s shoulders dissipate as he sighs in defeat. “Keith…” He breathes, pain in his voice as he rests his body on the wall behind him. “I’m sorry…”

 

Keith keeps his hands on Shiro’s shoulders but his grip fades. “It’s not your fault...but I just can’t  _ handle _ you  _ leaving _ ...it was hard enough the first time, but…” He tries his best to fight back tears but lately, he hasn’t been doing a wonderful job and keeping his emotions at bay. Keith’s like a wildfire, burning everything in its path. “Twice is...I just can’t...you can’t  _ leave _ me.”

 

“I know. I wished I could...somehow tell you that I was okay...and that I—” Shiro stops abruptly, catching himself from speaking too much. Keith’s eyes narrow.

 

“You what?” Keith swallows and the silence from Shiro pains him. “No, no, you can’t  _ do _ that to me. I  _ quit _ the garrison...I  _ knew _ you were out there somewhere. And it made me so incredibly  _ happy _ to fight alongside you, to form Voltron with our friends and fight against the Galra. But you never...you never  _ said _ anything so I thought…” Keith chokes up and slams a fist against Shiro’s shoulder. “Shiro, I—”

 

Shiro exhales quickly. “Keith, please, we can’t—we have a bigger fight ahead, and if I—”

 

“ _ That’s exactly why you shouldn’t hide from me.” _ Keith cries out, feeling like he’s losing my mind. “I can’t sleep at night, I  _ couldn’t... _ not when you were just  _ gone _ and I worried that you’d leave me and not give me the chance to tell you how much I…” He pauses to take a deep breath. “Shiro, you kept pictures of me in the black lion. I could  _ feel  _ her calling to me, and I knew that she felt a connection with me. And you know that’s only possible because of you.” 

 

“Keith…” Shiro bites his lip and tries looking away, but he too finds it hard to see through tears. 

 

“You can’t...stand here looking like that and tell me you...don’t have feelings for me. It’s not rocket science, Shiro! It’s just accepting my touch, accepting the fact that you love me, and that I can’t possibly live my life without you.”

 

“You seemed to be doing just fine—”

 

Keith nearly screeches. “No I  _ wasn’t.  _ I was a wreck, Shiro! I had no family, no friends...the  _ only _ person I cared about had gone missing for a year, and the only thing that was keeping me alive was the fact that you were still out there somewhere, fighting your way out of whatever it was that was trapping you. And you...finally made your way back to me.” He sighs heavily, exhausted. “You should know what that feels like.”

 

Shiro can’t argue; he knows  _ exactly _ why. He’s stuck; only his stubbornness was keeping them apart; only stubbornness was making Keith look at him like that... _ broken. _

 

“Just let me in, Shiro. Those pictures you keep are going to fade and you’re going to wish you could have had the chance to feel the real thing.” Keith’s hands are gentle now; no, they were always gentle. But this time he’s cautious, moving them down over his shoulders, down to his chest and pressing lightly. Keith’s impatient; he leans up, making his intentions obvious. “Shiro... _ please. _ ”

 

Keith’s face is so close to Shiro’s that he could feel his breath, heavy, laboured,  _ desperate. _ Shiro’s done a lot of dancing around his emotions, setting them aside for Voltron, for the salvation of the universe. But...can he be allowed this selfish need? Can he be allowed this luxury? Shiro’s shoulder slumps; it’s not like Keith will let him walk out of the room now. No, they were far too deep to turn around now. 

 

Shiro moves a gloved hand to Keith’s cheek, watching as the red paladin eases into the softness of it, mouth opens slightly, bliss exuding from his skin. Shiro was a disciplined soldier; it helped him stay away from the romantic side of his heart, made him focused on battle, on war. He thought he didn’t need this...Shiro thought he was fine.

 

But his hand was shaky, his palms felt sweaty, and his body ached and screamed and Keith seemed to be the only cure. “Keith…” Shiro whispered, his thumb sweeping over Keith’s cheek. They weren’t that far apart in age, yet Keith was still the smart, reckless, troublemaking pilot he knew when they had been in the garrison. His banter with Lance was rejuvenating.

 

But this Keith was softer; Shiro was sure no one else would see him like this. “Shiro…” Keith echoed, eyelids falling shut, dark, thick lashes fanning out against pale skin. 

 

Shiro’s hand reaches out to Keith’s hip, pressing him closer. Keith is impatient enough to slot his body against Shiro’s one leg between his thighs. Shiro whines at the contact, but he too has been waiting too long for this. Dreams pale in comparison to feeling Keith pressed up against him, whispering his name like a mantra.

 

It’s too much to listen to, so much that he leans down slightly, just enough so that their lips could brush against one another, ever so softly. Just a press of lips, Shiro’s breath escaping through his nostrils and fluttering all over Keith’s skin. A whimper is shared between them, whether it’s Shiro’s, Keith’s, or a mixture of both; it isn’t enough. Keith sheds his shyness for the time being, pressing Shiro fully to the wall, surging forward to kiss him fervently, to taste all that he could until his lungs decide to interject with a gulp of air between them.

 

Their eyes meet and the tears are gone. Only thin wet trails stain their cheeks from a moment passed. Keith feels like he’s gained so much of meaning into his life...Shiro looks like he’s never felt better. “I’m sorry.” Shiro whispered, both hands now cupping Keith’s cheeks, but there’s a faint smile to his lips now. “I should have—”

 

_ “And you did.”  _ Keith interrupts with a small peck of lips, testing Shiro’s patience. Shiro is left stunned, unused to the openness of affection, and Keith takes advantage of it. “I don’t want to hear you apologize anymore.” He briefly looks down at his feet, cheeks reddening. “I want to hear something else.” 

 

“O-oh…” Shiro coughs, embarrassed. “Um...what would you—”

 

“I love you, Shiro.” Keith says plainly, full of emotion but without restraint. He’s been broken far too many times, been left behind long enough for him to be embarrassed by anything to more. He’s too impatient to let those words hide even a second longer. 

 

Being more cautious, Shiro was one to put others first before himself; a completely selfless being. Training in the garrison had helped with that. But wasn’t putting Keith’s feelings first more important? He couldn’t deny keeping Keith’s pictures in the cockpit; they motivated him when he needed it most. Wasn’t he then being selfish by keeping these feelings to himself. Shiro exhaled shakily, but with more confidence as he gazed into Keith’s warm eyes.

 

“I love you, Keith. More than all of the stars in the universe...more than anything…”

**Author's Note:**

> please tell me what you thought!


End file.
